It’s the end of an era for the New Orleans Saints. Drew Brees has retired as the franchise leader in games played with the Saints (228). Longtime punter Thomas Morstead was let go after ranking second-most among active players (190); so was tight end Josh Hill, a favorite of Sean Payton’s who placed fourth-most (117). Now, defensive end Cameron Jordan is the only player on the roster who has suited up for 100 or more games in black and gold.
Multiple familiar faces with long Saints resumes are pending free agents: special teams captain Craig Robertson (78 Saints games played), defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins (63), defensive backs P.J. Williams (62) and Justin Hardee (56), and defensive end Trey Hendrickson (45). Every one of them would be missed.
That’s a lot of holes to fill, not just on the depth chart from a numbers perspective but in the experience lost in the locker room. When this team runs into adversity, who is going to stand up and cut through the noise?
It’s what Jordan is here for. So is safety Malcolm Jenkins (87 games played with the Saints, 183 total) and linebacker Demario Davis (48 Saints games, 144 total). Each of them restructured their contracts with New Orleans this offseason to create short-term cap space while tying them closer to the team in future years. Younger veterans like David Onyemata (78) and Michael Thomas (70) are also going to have to take on heavier responsibilities to plug that leadership void.
But that’s not the same as having a franchise quarterback. The Saints have told anyone who would listen that Taysom Hill is that guy, but that’s far from proven, and a looming training camp battle with Jameis Winston — if the pending free agent re-signs with New Orleans — could squash that theory. Until the Saints have a viable passer under center, it’s tough to say how they’ll bounce back from all of these losses. That’s just one more challenge for them to hurdle in 2021.
